Pakistan’s ongoing England tour has drawn sharp reactions from several former England cricketers, with Phil Tufnell, David Lloyd, Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook discussing the turmoil surrounding the visitors on the Stick to Cricket podcast. Pakistan’s tour took a dramatic turn after heavy defeats in the opening two Tests at Headingley and Lord’s. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) responded by releasing seven players from the squad and making changes to the coaching staff.
Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed, while the board began an internal investigation into discipline within the team. The decision to send seven players home midway through the England series particularly surprised Tufnell. The former England spinner argued that players are rarely sent home during a tour simply because of poor performances.
“But to send them home — to actually send them home — I think it’s terrible. It’s a disgrace for the players. I mean, they’ve now got to get on a plane and go back to the country.” Tufnell recalled the criticism he faced during his playing career but suggested that being removed from a tour was a completely different matter. “But to actually say, two-thirds of the way through a tour, ‘Right, sorry lads, you’ve got to bugger off’ — I think that’s something else.”
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Pakistan’s results have undoubtedly contributed to the growing pressure. England defeated them by an innings and 103 runs at Headingley before securing a 194-run victory at Lord’s. The two defeats left Pakistan 2-0 down in the three-Test series and prompted the PCB to make sweeping changes.
Michael Vaughan also questioned the decision to release so many players during an ongoing Test series. He pointed out that players are normally sent home for disciplinary reasons rather than simply because of poor cricket. “The thing is, usually you see one or two leave a tour because they’ve done something wrong in a bar or something. These have been sent home for just plain average cricket.”
🚨 Stick to Cricket: Episode 61 🚨
🏴 England hire Kevin Pietersen
💰 Ashes ticket prices
🇵🇰 Pakistan chaos
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— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) September 8, 2026
Vaughan also highlighted the instability surrounding Pakistan’s Test coaching setup in recent years. “Since Saqlain Mushtaq lost his job as head coach in 2023, Pakistan have made 12 changes to the men’s Test-match head coach.”
Alastair Cook responded to the discussion with a humorous comparison, reflecting the level of managerial instability Pakistan has experienced. Cook also joked about how quickly the situation had escalated following Pakistan’s poor performances in England.
“There hasn’t been any chaos on this tour. They’ve just been bad? And 24 hours later, they’ve sent seven home.” David Lloyd was even more critical when the conversation shifted towards Aaqib Javed and the wider Pakistan cricket administration. “But this — I mean, he’s just a complete embarrassment to the country.”
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The panel also discussed Pakistan’s recent meeting with King Charles at Clarence House. The royal engagement created an unusual contrast, with the players attending a formal event while uncertainty surrounded the squad and coaching staff. The former England cricketers joked about how King Charles might have reacted if he knew that some of the players were about to be sent home.
“They got an audience with King Charles, didn’t they? They’re all lined up, and you’re being sent home. But just before you go, can you just go and meet the King?” Pakistan will now face England in the third and final Test at Edgbaston from Wednesday, September 9. With England already leading the series 2-0, Pakistan will be desperate to avoid a 3-0 clean sweep while attempting to restore some stability after a turbulent week.
